Security and emergency responders are given a sendoff Mass before at the Pilgrim Center of the Basilica del Sto. Niño before they will be deployed to their respective areas. Photo by Rosalie O. Abatayo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Around 200 uniformed police officers from the police offices in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu and Cebu province and the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) will be deployed in the vicinity of the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño round the clock starting tomorrow, January 9.
Senior Superintendent Royina Garma, Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) director, in an interview on Tuesday morning, January 8, said the deployment would last for the duration of the Novena and until January 22 or two days after the Sinulog 2019 celebration, which would be on January 20.
“In three shifts ito, more or less 200 personnel ang i-dedeploy natin. Starting January 10, start ng Novena, until Sinulog day and until January 22. 24/7 yung deployment ng ating mga police dito sa paligid ng simbahan,” Garma said.
Garma added that they had put up elevated viewing decks for the police around the Basilica so that they could have a better view of the crowd during Church activities, especially the Novena masses.
Garma said that more police personnel had been deployed to secure the Basilica this year compared to the previous Sinulog celebrations.
She said that most of the police deployed this year had come from the augmentation of the different police units.
“Mas marami ang police na galing sa kanila kaysa organic officers natin. This is because hindi pwedeng ma-hamper yung routine of operations namin for this purpose. Tuloy pa rin yung routine na trabaho ng CCPO,” Garma said.
A send off Mass was held at the Basilica this morning for the personnel from different agencies such as the PNP, Armed Forces of the Philippines Central Command (Centcom) and volunteer emergency responders.
Garma said that two K9 units from the PRO-7 would also be deployed during the Sinulog events as a deterrent against explosives during these activities./dbs